The present inventor has become aware of the following prior U.S. patents:
______________________________________ Patentee U.S. Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Kapany 3,985,116 Oct. 12, 1976 Robertson 3,990,430 Nov. 9, 1976 Rabl 3,991,740 Nov. 16, 1976 Smith 4,030,477 June 21, 1977 Bakun, et al 4,037,583 July 26, 1977 Cook 4,046,133 Sept. 6, 1977 Jones 4,055,161 Oct. 25, 1977 ______________________________________
In each instance, the collector includes concentrators and/or reflectors for increasing efficiency by directing more of the incident sunlight toward the heat absorber within the collector. (In general, the prior art devices appear to be of "sandwich" construction, with the absorber located directly below the transparent cover, rather than off towards one edge. Note a variation of the latter in the Rabl patent.)
In addition, the following prior U.S. patents show solar energy collectors or similar devices having radiant energy focusing structures which include angled or curved reflective surfaces:
______________________________________ Patentee U.S. Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Harrison 1,258,405 Mar. 5, 1918 Shipman 1,683,266 Sept. 4, 1928 Johnson 1,742,861 Jan. 7, 1930 Freund 2,467,885 Apr. 19, 1949 Newton 2,969,788 Jan. 31, 1961 Hervy 3,321,012 May 23, 1967 Clark 3,866,285 Feb. 18, 1975 Rineer 3,915,147 Oct. 28, 1975 Fletcher for Shimada 3,915,148 Oct. 28, 1975 Winston 3,923,381 Dec. 2, 1975 Mlavsky 3,976,508 Aug. 24, 1976 Bezborodko 4,038,971 Aug. 2, 1977 Orrison 4,038,972 Aug. 2, 1977 Weinstein, et al 4,052,782 Oct. 11, 1977 Barrio de Mendoza 4,059,094 Nov. 22, 1977 Wasserman 4,067,319 Jan. 10, 1978 ______________________________________
In the same regard, the following publication is of interest:
R. Winston and H. Hinterberger, Principles of Cylindrical Concentrators for Solar Energy, Argonne National Laboratory paper SOL 74-01, September 1974.
So recently have they issued that the present inventor has become aware only contemporaneously with making his patent application, of the following prior U.S. patents, each of which shows a solar energy collector having a version of transparent corrugated cover:
______________________________________ Patentee Patent No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Mattson 4,076,015 Feb. 28, 1978 Mattson 4,077,393 Mar. 7, 1978 ______________________________________
Additional literature on various designs of concentrating collectors is widely available. See, for instance, the following publications:
Bruce Anderson, The Solar Home Book, heating, cooling and designing with the sun, Cheshire Books, Harrisville, New Hampshire (1976), pp. 180-183. PA1 Donald Watson, Designing and Building a Solar House, Your Place in the Sun, Garden Way Publishing, Charlotte, Vermont (1977), pp. 42-46; 67-75; 116-119. PA1 Encyclopedia Britannica 3, article "Solar Collectors", section "Concentrators".